The Divine Mercy is a devotion to Jesus Christ associated with the apparitions of Jesus to Saint Faustina Kowalska. The venerated image under this Christological title refers to what Kowalska's diary describes as "God's loving mercy" towards all people, especially for sinners.[1][2] Kowalska was granted the title "Secretary of Mercy" by the Holy See in the Jubilee Year of 2000.[3][4][5] Kowalska reported a number of apparitions during religious ecstasy which she wrote in her 1934-1938 diary, later published as the book Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul.[4][5] The two main themes of the devotion are to trust in Christ's endless goodness, and to show mercy to others acting as a conduit for God's love towards them.[4][6]
Pope John Paul II, a native of Poland, had great affinity towards this devotion and authorized it in the Liturgical Calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. The liturgical Feast of the Divine Mercy is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Worshippers of the Divine Mercy commemorate the Hour of Mercy (3 p.m.), which according to Kowalska's diary is the time of the death of Jesus. Another very popular form of the devotion is the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy. Some members of the Anglican Communion also share its pious beliefs and devotions in an effort towards church renewal.[7] The devotion is believed to be the preparation for the end time.[citation needed]